Alpharetta Century

The 2nd annual Alpharetta cycling event that raised $12,000 to benefit the Georgia Transplant Foundation (GTF) and the Kiwanis Club of Alpharetta was held Saturday, November 7. The ride attracted 265 riders of various talents who enjoyed cycling options from a 6-mile family ride to longer alternatives of 35, 62 or 100 miles. Most riders (80%) opted for the 62 or 100 mile course which traversed the scenic roads of Fulton, Forsyth and Cherokee counties.

Another “pleasure” of this ride was its hometown venue. Unlike other cycling events in which I have participated, no long car trek prior to the spinning of the spokes was required. The ride’s start/finish at old Milton High School was a mere five miles from my Roswell front door. Begging and receiving forgiveness from my lovely wife whose birthday coincided with the ride, Helen dropped me off at old Milton High just in time to complete my same day registration. I felt the $45 same day registration fee (vs. $35 for early registration) was a bit steep. However, I believe in the spirit of the GTF and quickly converted my initial “fee chagrin” into doing my part for a worthy cause. Later in the day, I passed a rider who revealed that he was a two-time kidney transplant recipient, living proof that riding a bike can save a life. Amen, Shalom, Namaste, May it be so…..

The weather for this late fall ride was spectacular. A chill in the air at the 8:00 AM mass start required a riding jacket. As the sun rose, the chill diminished. The organizers, with a keen understanding of gear management, offered a “cloak room” service at the rest stops. The service allowed riders to shed their jackets into a large plastic bin, obtain a claim check, continue riding in the warm sun and then retrieve their riding jackets at the finish point. Clever.

At the first rest stop near the Whimsy Rose on Holbrook Campground Rd, the 35 mile option riders separated from the 62/100 mile crowd. I felt the organizers made one poor road selection prior to this split. Wright Mill Road (mile 12) is a short, but extremely demanding steep climb. Even for a century rider like me, this short climb was a challenge. I am sure for the 35 mile riders it may have seemed almost insurmountable. Save for this one exception, the road selection was excellent. Most of the road surfaces were smooth with low-traffic, accompanied by hill climbs that were to be expected in this environ north of Atlanta. At the second rest stop (mile 34), the 62 milers and century riders split.

The century ride was 50 miles out, turn around, and head home ride. For the first 50 miles, we had a seemingly endless net gain in altitude. As we pushed up Steve Tate Highway past the Big Canoe mountain enclave, I knew there were challenging climbs ahead. With the turn onto GA 136 toward Jasper, we started our 4.5 mile winding assault up Burnt Mountain.

Burnt Mountain required a slow, steady, Zen state of mind to climb this switchback ascent. Have ridden Wolfpen, Neels, Hogpen and other North Georgia gaps for more than 20 years, I have resolved not to think of reaching the “top.” Whatever summit is achieved, it is immediately followed by a downhill and then another climb. I make, however, a public confession that my Zen mastery was challenged this day as I continually convinced myself that the next switchback would reveal the summit. “Be one with the road….be one with the road….”

The summit of Burnt Mountain was the century turnaround point. In testament to the strength and talent of the riders participating, I encountered a pack of six riders zipping down Burnt Mountain shortly after I began my climb. Others followed. As I near sixty years of life, I have re-oriented my focus on the journey rather than the finish. This orientation gave me the chance to soak in the absolute beauty of this ride.

The fall scenery of the course was as spectacular as the weather. Many trees had already surrendered their leaves, but ample patches of red and yellow leaf clusters abounded. North Georgia, despite the madness of development in the Atlanta area, is still filled with wide-open rolling farm fields and wooded arbors that shroud the road in a comforting natural cocoon. Given such beauty and serenity, I am often hard pressed to understand why so few cyclists traverse through these beautiful gifts of North Georgia.

The treat of reaching the summit was that there was a genuine “give back” to all the climbing we had done during the first part of this century. The descent of Burnt Mountain took 10 minutes. Other down hills followed with an occasional need to reach for some climbing gears. By now solo riders or small knots of 2 to 3 riders made their way back to the start/finish point. Despite the long day and a chill slowly returning to the air, rest stop volunteers remained vigilant at their posts. Many thanks are extended to these dedicated volunteers.

As pre-arranged, my lovely wife retrieved me at the ride’s end. A deferred birthday gift of tickets to Cavalia put me back in good husband standing. The real gift of the day, however, was the gift of services that can now be rendered by the Georgia Transplant Foundation and the Kiwanis Club of Alpharetta, made possible by the generous participation of so many people who simply went out for a ride.

Enjoy your spinning . . .